Sliding glass doors have achieved a prominence in modern architecture, combining the functionality and convenience of an entryway with the beauty and light transmitting qualities of a window. One (1) of the most popular usages of such sliding doors is as a means of accessing patios, decks, and similar structures. In general, these doors fit a double-wide opening and open or close by riding upon a sliding track frame.
While these doors are desirable for their aesthetic beauty and their convenient functionality, they do suffer from a drawback in that they are susceptible as a point of entry for burglars and thieves. The latches commonly used to lock sliding glass doors are easily manipulated with the use of a pry bar by forcing it between the jamb and the door and prying it open. Many owners place a stick in the lower track to eliminate the possibility of the door sliding open. However, such sticks are often unsightly. Furthermore, the use of such objects requires the user to bend over in order to position and retrieve the object during use.
Various attempts have been made to provide sliding door security devices. Examples of these attempts can be seen by reference to several U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,376, issued in the name of Evans et al., describes a patio door security bar which is selectively lockable from within the interior of a housing to prevent lateral motioning of a patio door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,912, issued in the name of Smith, Jr., describes a foldable security bar adaptable for permanent installation on sliding doors and windows with a movable latch for selectively unlocking the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,202, issued in the name of Dockery, describes a sliding door operator and lock including a gear-toothed rack and a motor driven gear for secure and selectable automatic electric operation of the device.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives, each of these references suffer from one (1) or more of the aforementioned disadvantages. Many such devices are difficult or time consuming to manipulate. Also, many such devices cause damage upon installation. Furthermore, many such devices are unsightly while in use, or even at all times. Accordingly, there exists a need for a security bar for sliding doors without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.